Winter Blessing
by Winterwing3000
Summary: Yuffie dislikes the snow, but because of him, she starts to like it. Even if just for that one moment. Light Yuffentine.


**Disclaimers **on the characters of Final Fantasy VII, who rightfully belong to SquareEnix, because I really don't have the money as a college student to get sued.

**Note:** This takes place after the events of Final Fantasy VII: Dirge of Cerberus.

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><p>Winter Blessing<p>

By Winterwing3000

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><p>White, white, white. For miles, that was all she saw. There was only white.<p>

Where did all the bright and tamed colors of the Wutai summer go? When did everything suddenly disappear? Where were the fat sparrows? The golden sun?

The air was cold. Her breath came out in puffs of silvery cotton. She could feel her socks become wet and soggy as the cold, white fluff underneath her shoes seeped through the rich silk. Her nose turned red and snot dripped from it. Her teeth chattered endlessly and her bare skin as covered in goose bumps.

"Chekov!" the diminutive princess shrieked as she ran back inside, where everything wasn't white, white, white and cold. Her father's guardian looked over at her from the shelves of scrolls.

As the princess skidded to a stop at her side, Chekov bowed courteously at the future heir. "What is the matter, Princess Yue-Faye?"

Yue-Faye jumped up and down to warm stop the shivers racing across her spine. Chekov's wise eyes crinkled in amusement. The little child princess swept her arm in the direction from where she came and proclaimed in distress, "It is so cold and wet and white outside! What happened? Has Da Chao closed his eyes upon Wutai?"

She was gently escorted further into the chamber of Emperor Godo's study and seated at a silk cushion chair. The guardian placed a shawl over the small trembling shoulders. Only her raven locks and her large wide eyes were visible.

Chekov knelt in front of the little heir. "No, my Princess. Da Chao is at his rest. It is the time of winter, and that is snow outside."

"Winter?" she echoed in disbelief. "But what would happen to the farmer's crops? How will they live without Da Chao's warmth?"

"He has not forsaken his people, little lady. Da Chao is simply testing our worth, our endurance, and our ability to believe in him. You will know when he returns," the retainer consoled. "It is when the snow melts and buds grow."

Yue-Faye sulked. "I dislike this snow. It is too white, too clean. And the air is too cold."

Chekov wondered what she meant when she said it was too clean.

"Snow is Da Chao's last blessing to us," the guardian slowly explained. "It is to quench our thirst before the rivers turn to ice. He gives it to us so that we may renew our bodies for the coming new year and that we remember for there to be rebirth, there must be death."

"Snow…" the princess muttered as she stared woefully at the barren trees outside the window.

No, it was not a blessing. It was not.

Snow. Snow. Snowsnowsnow.

It was falling again.

Everything was covered in white. The dark spires, the torn edges, the rusted pieces.

Yuffie reached out her hand and watched distantly as flakes dissolved in her palm. It was a light flurry in front of her. Dim lantern lights of other small shops glowed in the white. Merry making was happening indoors, where warmth and cheers rang.

The screen door behind her clattered as it closed. Footfalls as soft as her own thudded next to her.

"What are you looking at, Yuffie?" a deep baritone inquired from her left. The tattered ends of a crimson cape gently brushed against her bare calves.

She ignored his question and asked him in wonder, "It's snowing, right Vincent?"

He directed a curios glance her way before nodding once. "Yes, it is snowing right now."

"I don't like it," Yuffie declared after they stood through a decent silence. A delivery truck drove by them. The large tires made black tracks on the white sheet coating the ground.

"It is too clean," she clarified without his asking. "It's just white. It's the color of vulnerability and desolation. It also represents death back in Wutai. People on the Continent stare at it in awe, but I can't bring myself to see it that way."

"I always presumed it to be blue," Vincent offered lowly.

She couldn't tell if he was trying to comfort her or if he were just adding to the conversation. Regardless, Yuffie smiled. "Why blue?"

He contemplated while staring up at the thick clouds. His answer came after she started fidgeting from the chills biting at her feet. "It is the color of the sky reflecting on the snow once the sun breaks through the clouds."

"It's still depressing. Midgar looks like it's been cloaked in death," she said while pointing to the ruins of Midgar. "It doesn't make the destruction look any nicer. If anything, it feels like it is being swallowed again."

Vincent said nothing as he wondered why he stepped outside when he saw her standing out at the porch of Seventh Heaven. Yuffie rocked on the heels of her feet to get the blood moving.

"Perhaps, it is to remind us how fragile life is. While it is a sign of death, it is also a sign of rebirth. Everything slumbers as snow falls, but revives once it melts," he uttered as he turned to stare down at the shorter ninja.

She laughed, startling him though he did not show it. "Chekov said the same exact thing when I was little. I guess I just never liked the idea of greeting the New Year with snow. A blessing she calls it so that we will wait patiently and endure the winter. But I feel like it doesn't hold any promise for spring time."

"But Spring comes around, regardless," he replied to her. "There will always be another new year, another spring. Just as there will be another before it."

"Unless Omega decides to make reappearance," she tried to say jokingly. But the somber mood squashed it like a bug. And they continued to watch it snow. Though he tried, the gunslinger couldn't find the missing piece of their conversation.—the real reason behind Yuffie's quiet mood during such a festive time.

"When you disappeared with Omega and the Lifestream," Yuffie started thoughtfully, "Omega exploded and Midgar was showered with bits of Lifestream—like it is now. It was like green snow falling down on the ruins. You vanished, and no one knew if you were dead or alive. It was like an omen, the Lifestream returned to the Planet and you were the price to pay. Even Shelke couldn't reach you."

Vincent's garnet eyes grew clear but he said nothing because he didn't know what to say.

She sucked in a deep breath and released it. It vaporized in front of her. The ninja locked her grey eyes on his red ones. A trembling smile appeared on her lips. "But you were alive. And you came back."

_Thank you for making me believe in the winter blessing._

The taller man nodded once firmly. He felt something chip inside when tears pooled at the corner of the young woman's eyes. She half laughed and sobbed as she covered her eyes with the heels of her palms.

"I'm sorry. I just want to tell you that I'm glad you came back. That we can see the first snow fall of the year and that we can spend the New Year together," Yuffie gave him a watery smile.

A short but soft smile appeared on his lips. He placed a hand on her shoulder and said, "Yuffie."

_Thank you for believing in my return._

She chuckled and wiped away the last of her tears. Her smaller hand grasped his and squeezed it tightly. Though her eyes were slightly red, Yuffie mustered a bright grin. "Let's go back. Last thing we need is Tifa fussing over us because we got a cold from standing out here too long."

Vincent swept his cloak and followed the reenergized ninja's bouncing steps back into the bar.

It continued to snow.

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><p><strong>AN:<strong> A little wintery piece for the holidays—a touch different from what I posted up last year though. I hope you enjoyed this light Yuffentine. I feel a little rusty writing it. Hopefully the next one I write will be a little better.

Happy Holidays and Happy New Years!


End file.
